* Plans savings by 2020 of $738 mln vs $3.11 bln seenearlier
* Proposal sees support shifting away from biomass, onshorewind
* Greater emphasis on micro-generation, solar and offshore By Maciej Onoszko
WARSAW, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Poland has scaled down its plan tocut support for renewable energy to a total of 2.3 billionzlotys ($738 million) by the end of the decade from 9.7 billionzlotys, an updated draft bill on renewables released late onFriday showed.
The new law, which cuts support for large biomass co-firingand onshore wind installations in favour of micro-generation,solar power and offshore, put the total cost of the system by2020 at 62.1 billion zlotys versus 54.7 billion seen earlier.
The updated law marks another shift in the EconomyMinistry's support for renewables, designed to help Polandreduce its heavy dependence on coal and meet the EuropeanUnion's green energy targets.
Previous versions of the bill had to be rewritten afterangry responses from local utilities, which had investedmillions in burning biomass, as well as the wind power industry,which feared it could go bust with lower state support.
Poland generates around 90 percent of its electricity fromcoal. To meet European Union regulations on carbon emissions,the former Soviet-bloc nation has to increase the share ofrenewable energy to at least 15 percent by 2020.
The country's renewable energy drive has to date focused ononshore wind farms and burning biomass, which involves mixingwood and other plant material in with the coal before it isburned in coal-fired power stations.
Economy ministry officials had said earlier that biomassco-firing was not economically viable and that the system hasfavoured onshore wind too heavily.
The draft bill will now sent to the government and later tothe parliament.($1 = 3.1179 Polish zlotys)
(Reporting by Maciej Onoszko; Editing by Catherine Evans)
((maciej.onoszko@thomsonreuters.com)(+48 22 653 97 11)(ReutersMessaging: maciej.onoszko.reuters.com@thomsonreuters.net))
Keywords: POLAND RENEWABLES/